A New Beginning
by Shadow's Mirror
Summary: Their battles are done. They await their judgement. Memories return and new feelings wake as they prepare to meet their ultimate destiny. But is it really over or could there still be hope for a return to the lives they have known? complete
1. The Hall of Black Marble

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place after the final duel in the Egyptian Arc and is intended to 'bridge the gap' between the events of the series (canon) and the events in all of my fics (fanon). So this is the first story in the loose timeline that weaves through all my stories. I hope you all enjoy it!

**A New Beginning  
Chapter 1: The Hall of Black Marble**  
By Shadow's Mirror

He had failed.

All of his plans... for the defeat of the Pharaoh, for control of the world, for revenge against those who had killed his friends and family... They had all come crashing down around him.

He had lost.

Not only the duel against the Pharaoh, but everything that had mattered to him. His pride, his skill, his chance at vengeance... even the tiny sliver of his life that had remained. All had been lost.

Oddly, the one thing he had left was his mind. During the duel, his sanity had slipped from his already tenuous grasp. But when the last card had been played and the duel lost... in that moment his mind had cleared and he had seen, perhaps for the first time, just what his arrogance and scheming had cost him.

He had vanished from that world and awoken to find himself floating in a place he did not know. This was not the cold, dark void within the Shadow Realm, where Marik had once trapped most of his soul. Nor was it the echoing emptiness within the Ring that he had inhabited for over five thousand years. This was somewhere new and Bakura did not like it at all.

It was not cold, but he felt chilled and numb. It was not hot, but he felt flushed and feverish. There was no light. No smell. No taste. No sound. Not even the beating of his heart broke the dreadful silence.

A part of him knew that he would never hear that particular sound again.

He could not see his body, but he could feel it. He knew he was curled up in a foetal position, his knees drawn up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them, his head buried against them. He hated himself for assuming such a childish pose, but he could not bring himself to move from it. Although he gained no warmth from it and his body was too numb for him to even feel his own touch, still there was something comforting about the position. He hated himself more for craving that comfort.

How long had he been there? He wasn't sure. It seemed like hours. Days. Centuries. Moments. His concept of time was constantly changing.

Perhaps his mind was slipping away from him again.

Such a thought had never bothered him before, but it did now. He had lost so much, he didn't want to lose himself as well. He began to fight back against the feeling of hopelessness engulfing him. He forced himself to remember as much of his life as he could.

But the only image that came to him was a pair of sorrowful eyes the colour of melted chocolate.

Then his world was flooded with light and he felt himself falling.

- - -

Bakura blinked and gasped, completely thrown by the sudden change in his surroundings. One moment he'd been floating in nothing, now he was standing in a large chamber. The chill of the black marble tiles crept into his bare feet, but that was nothing against the chill that invaded his heart as he studied the room. It looked as if he was back in Ancient Egypt, in one of the tombs he had been so good at getting into. The walls were the same, sandstone carved with the symbols of his first language, but no tomb he had heard of had been built with black marble floors... or a ceiling of swirling shadows.

Something about the sight of that shadowy ceiling sent an icy shiver down his spine and he quickly looked down again. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a flutter of white cloth that made him take stock of himself for the first time. When he did so, he was greeted with a sight that was at once both familiar and different.

It was his body. Not the puny form he had been forced to endure for the years he had been within Ryou, but his own body with its muscles, strength and height. The body of Bakura, the King of Thieves. But what in the Shadows was he wearing?

Bakura plucked at the white robe and held it out from himself, studying it in bewilderment. It wasn't anything he had worn before. It was a simple white robe, like something a young priest might wear. Definitely not his idea of fashion and definitely not something he would have willingly dressed in.

Thoroughly confused by this new development, it took Bakura several moments more to realise that he was not alone in the room.

On the far side, a familiar figure sat on the floor, his back against the wall. He was dressed in the same sort of robe as Bakura and his head was bowed, but he was easily recognised.

Bakura snarled, his fury at the sight of that hated tri-coloured hair overcoming his reason as he stormed across the room.

"Pharaoh! What trick is this? Where have you brought me?"

He grabbed the boy by his collar and hoisted him up off the floor, determined to get the answers out of him, even if he had to shake them out! He glared at the boy he had known both as Yami and as the Pharaoh Atem. "Answer me, damn you! Where are we?"

Yami raised his head and Bakura froze, shocked speechless by the tortured look of pain and misery in the dark violet orbs now locked with his eyes.

For a moment, Yami did not speak. When he did, his voice was barely a whisper and strained with emotion. "Can you not tell? This is the antechamber of the Hall of Judgement. We are about to be judged by the god Osiris to see if we are worthy to enter the Afterlife... or instead be cast into eternal oblivion."

To be continued...


	2. Judgement Day

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If anyone's interested, the book I referred to for information on the Judgement of the Dead ritual and the names and roles of the Ancient Egyptian Gods was 'The Egyptian Book of Living and Dying' by Joann Fletcher.

**A New Beginning  
Chapter 2: Judgement Day**  
By Shadow's Mirror

_"Can you not tell? This is the antechamber of the Hall of Judgement. We are about to be judged by the god Osiris to see if we are worthy to enter the Afterlife... or instead be cast into eternal oblivion."_

Yami's strained voice told Bakura even more than his horrifying words. He was telling the truth and he was already sure of his fate.

Almost gently, Bakura set Yami down again on the black marble tiles. The one-time Pharaoh looked at the one-time Tombrobber and for the first time, Bakura knew that they both felt the same way at that moment. He bowed his head. "So... this is it."

"Yes." Yami sighed. "In the end, after everything that has happened, we should have realised that we would not be able to escape... this." He shook his head slightly. "We were raised knowing this day would come." His voice was soft, little more than a whisper, but it echoed loudly in the hall all the same.

Bakura nodded. "Yes." He looked away. "But I'd hoped that of all the stories, this was nothing more than one of them."

Yami blinked at that. "You... did not believe in the Gods? In the Afterlife?" He looked horrified.

The other yami smiled mirthlessly, his eyes glittering as he recalled his life in Egypt. "I believed that the Gods had forsaken me from the day they took my sister and mother. Believed it even more the day my village burned to the ground... along with my father. After that, I made my own destiny, as you well know." He shrugged and looked away. "I guess I figured... after everything that had happened in life... the trials couldn't possibly continue after death too."

"Trials..." Yami frowned at that, looking as if Bakura's words had made him think of something that was confusing him.

"Yeah. You know, things you go through that you don't like and don't see the reason for except to make you stronger if you survive them. Trials." Bakura eyed Yami warily.

Yami shot Bakura a look of irritation. "I am aware of what 'trials' are, thank you. That is what is puzzling me. There have been no trials for me. What of you?" Before the other could do more than glare at him, he waved a hand. "Wait, I do not mean during our lives or even while we were spirits. You must know how the story goes. The dead do not simply... appear in this place."

Realising what Yami meant, Bakura's eyes widened in shock. "You're right. The Hall of Judgement was said to be the last stop, not the first. The dead were supposed to make their way here through the underworld and they had to pass through five gateways to do so. I don't know about you, but I definitely didn't do that. One minute I was in limbo and then I was here wearing... this..." He plucked at his tunic shirt with a grimace of distaste.

"It was the same for me." Yami frowned and looked around. "This is most strange. Perhaps I was mistaken about where we are."

Hope flared in Bakura's heart.

A door at the far end of the hall opened and a man entered the chamber, stopping just inside the doorway. He was tall and slender, lightly muscled, and dressed in a similar fashion to the two yamis, except for an Egyptian-styled collar that shone golden between the intricately-laid pieces of obsidian set into it. His long brown hair cascaded to the middle of his back, with two pieces falling in front of his shoulders and framing his face. His definitely inhuman face.

Yami and Bakura stared at him in shock, recognising him instantly.

With their recognition came the knowledge that no, Yami hadn't been wrong about where they were. Their escort had arrived exactly as in the stories they had both grown up with.

Anubis, the jackal-headed god of death, raised a hand and beckoned them forward. "Come." His voice was the deep rumbling echo of an empty tomb and neither yami could prevent the shudders that passed through them at the eerie sound. They glanced at each other then, as if given strength by the knowledge that at least they were not alone, they both began the walk down the hall.

Anubis did not seem to be in any particular hurry. He waited for them patiently, no sign of any emotion on his face. It could have been carved from sandstone, except that stone could not move and, as they stopped a few steps away from him, both yamis saw a flash of his pointed teeth as he began to speak again. "You are about to enter the Hall of Judgement, also known as the Hall of Two Truths. Osiris awaits within to judge your mortal lives. Come."

Yami and Bakura both nodded and followed Anubis out of the hall of black marble and into the hall where both Osiris, the Judge of the Dead, and their final destinies awaited them.

- - -

The Hall of Judgement had the same carved walls as the outer chamber, but that was where the similarity ended. The floor was simple sandstone rather than black marble and the ceiling, Bakura was relieved to see, was also plain and not the disconcerting shadows of the other room. He had checked it instinctively but his attention remained there only for a moment before being drawn to the scene before them.

On the far side of the room was a dais with a set of immense golden scales beside it, in perfect balance. The man seated on the dais and the two women who stood on each side of him all appeared to be human, but the yamis knew otherwise. Off to the side where the scales were, another man stood silently. There was no doubt at all that he was not human, either.

The man seated on the dais was wearing a long white tunic that fell to his feet along with the traditional Egyptian-styled collar. He also wore a plumed ritual crown that bore a little too much of a resemblance to the Dark Magician's hat for Bakura's comfort. In his hands, he held a crook and a flail, the sight of which also made the ancient Tombrobber more than a little uneasy.

As far as Bakura could recall, the crook, flail and even the hat were just the regalia of the position, but it had been so long that there was always the possibility that things had changed.

He was Osiris, the Judge of the Dead and the God of the Underworld.

Beside him, wearing simple tunics with golden, jewel inlaid collars, stood his sisters and protectors, Isis and Nepthys.

Beside them, the two outer figures were identical twins. Or rather, they were two of the same being. Maat, the goddess of justice and truth. Her form divided to show her dedication to the maintenance of balance and order. They were dressed identically to the sisters, except for one thing... Each Maat wore a single tall feather in her hair.

Those feathers... the sight of them sent a bone-deep chill through Bakura. He knew what they were used for. He knew they would be the cause of his final, and absolute, end.

The other male in the room was dressed like Anubis except that his collar was set with quartz rather than obsidian. His dark brown hair was just a shade lighter and perhaps an inch longer, but he wore it the same way, falling down his back except for two pieces that fell in front of his shoulders and framed his face. His long beak curved down and his bright eyes regarded the two yamis with keen intelligence and what looked to Bakura like a mix of curiosity and fascination.

There were only two things that stopped Bakura from being very annoyed by that look. The first was his knowledge that the man was Thoth, the ibis-headed scribe and god of writing and said to possess the most knowledge of any of the Ancient Egyptian deities. To Bakura, that made curiosity more of a side-effect of his job than a self-indulgence. The second thing was the fact that of all the beings in that room, Thoth was the only one who looked even remotely interested in them. All of the others wore what Bakura guessed Yami would label 'expressions of dignified serenity'.

To him they just looked bored.

Still... Bakura figured that had to be better than the outright hostility or anger he could have been entitled to, considering how often he'd cursed all of the Egyptian gods. Both mentally and verbally.

Anubis spoke from behind them, drawing Bakura out of his thoughts. "You stand in the presence of the great Osiris. Recite the Negative Confession." He paused and then said the words that Bakura had been dreading. "The white-haired one first."

Ah yes. How had he managed to forget about this particular requirement of the judgement ceremony? As he moved forward a few steps, Bakura barely managed to keep from wincing outwardly at the thought of the very long, very detailed list of sins that all Ancient Egyptians had been expected to memorise just for this occasion.

The idea was that the dead recited the Negative Confession, swore that they had spoken the truth and that they were guilty of nothing mentioned in it, and then the feather of truth was placed on the golden scales. The feather that Maat wore in her hair. Their hearts were then weighed against the feather. If the two remained in balance, then the confession had been true and the dead would be granted eternal life, their souls set free to someday be reincarnated. If the scales tipped, the confession had been false and the dead would be... Uh oh.

This was not going to be good.

"I think we all know how this is gonna go, so how about I save you guys some time?"

Bakura heard the words being spoken and recognised his voice. He almost panicked, but then he realised that he had actually never felt more relaxed or in control. This was right. It was unorthodox, sure, but when had he ever gone by the rules?

He drew himself up to his full height and smiled slightly. "I was a tombrobber. That's about as bad as it gets. There's no way I'm going to pass this. I've done too much and seen too much more." He shrugged. "If this is the end of me, then fair enough. I always knew I'd have to pay the price for my life, someday." His eyes narrowed and hardened. "But this test of yours is unfair for him." He made a brisk gesture with his head to indicate the former-Pharaoh, who he knew without looking was staring at him in shock.

"He's no angel, but he's done more for this sorry world than anyone else at any time or place. He's saved it more than once, but that won't count at all with the way you judge those who stand before you." He turned his head slightly, speaking now not to the Judge, but to the protector of truth and justice. His voice softened as he looked at her. Both of her. "The judgement worked fine in our time. Things were simpler then. But after everything that's happened... For his judgement to be a just one, surely what he did needs to be taken into account as much as what he didn't do? That's the only way he'll be judged fairly."

"Bakura! Silence!" The words came from behind him, swift and furious with more than a hint of embarrassment in their tone. "It is not your place to say what is fair or just, anymore than it is your place to speak on my behalf. I am prepared to accept their judgement. It is none of your concern."

Bakura turned and glared at Yami. "No. It's one thing for me to end here but not you. Shadows, you and I both know that. I've done nothing to deserve anything but oblivion, but you..." It was only a slim chance, but it was one he knew he had to take. Even if it was the last thing he ever did... at least he could do something that would make Ryou proud of him, if he ever knew.

"I said silence!" Yami glared back at Bakura, obviously moving quickly beyond mere fury.

"Newsflash, Yami. You're not the Pharaoh Atem anymore." Bakura snarled and took a step towards Yami as he spoke in a low growl that seemed to swirl around him in the echoing room. "That was five thousand years ago, before we both became what we are."

He would have said more, but something happened to distract him.

Throughout Bakura's appeal and the resulting argument with Yami, the rest of the room had been completely silent, although whether that was due to them being willing to allow him to have his say or merely being stunned into silence by his impertinence was unclear. But as Bakura paused in his tirade to take a break, a soft gasp and softer sound broke that silence.

All eyes in the room turned to look in surprise at Thoth, who was picking up the quill pen he had just dropped. The scribe blinked at the parchment in his hands, then looked over at Osiris with wide, almost frightened, eyes before looking at Bakura. "Um... excuse me... but... did you just say... Pharaoh and... five thousand... years?" He was either of a very meek and tentative nature, or he was going into a state of shock.

Considering how much his hands were trembling, Bakura would have bet on the shock.

As Bakura blinked in surprise at the scribe, Yami replied, his voice soft. "In life, I was the Pharaoh Atem and he was Bakura, a tombrobber. We lived in Egypt over five millennia ago. Our lives were taken as a result of a spell, but at that time our souls were both divided in two. We slept in magical items until our other halves gained those items and we emerged, in the form of spirits. Now, our duel has finally ended and our half-souls have moved on to here."

Thoth's eyes were very wide and there was something in them that Bakura thought looked oddly like panic. "These... other halves... you speak of... They were reincarnated into the mortal world? They were human?"

Bakura nodded before Yami could. "Yeah. Yugi Mutou and Ryou Bakura. We call them our light halves, since we're the ones with the Shadow Magic."

"Shadow..." Thoth began to tremble so much that Anubis moved to his side to steady him in case he was about to faint. "Oh no." He quickly whispered something to Anubis. Bakura couldn't hear what it was, but he could easily see the effect it had on the jackal-headed god.

Anubis's slanted golden eyes went so round they were almost circles and he suddenly looked very uncomfortable. When he strode towards Bakura, the yami tensed, expecting trouble. What he got was something else entirely.

"It seems there is some... discrepancy... in our information. We need to clarify a few things before you can be judged. So, if you and your..." he made a vague gesture to Yami and didn't waste time trying to work out the relationship, "... would wait out in the antechamber, I will come for you again shortly."

As he spoke, Anubis made a shooing motion with his hands. Whenever Téa had done that, Bakura had just thought it looked silly. When a jackal-headed death god did it...

Bakura blinked as the door to the Hall of Judgement closed firmly in his face a few moments later. He slowly turned and looked at Yami, only slightly relieved to see that the former-pharaoh looked just as confused as he felt. "Any idea what that was all about?"

Yami started to shake his head, then paused and frowned thoughtfully. "None, unless..."

"Unless?" Bakura prompted when Yami just trailed off without finishing his sentence.

"Well... they seemed to be rather surprised at hearing that we have been spirits for all this time. There was also our coming here without needing to pass through the underworld with all its trials." Yami paused to try to get his thoughts in order, but quickly continued when Bakura glared at him. "It has just occurred to me that perhaps, since we both possess only half a soul each, the judgement procedure may be different for us."

Bakura blinked. "As much as I hate to admit it... you're making sense." He looked at the doors. "But you know... they didn't exactly seem happy about it. They seemed almost... afraid."

He turned at the sound of footsteps and arched an eyebrow as he watched Yami walking over to the wall and sitting down with his back to it. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting." Yami shrugged at the look Bakura gave him. "We do not know how long it will be before we are summoned before them again. We might as well be comfortable."

Bakura hated it when Yami was right. Scowling, he moved over to the wall and sat down beside Yami, then closed his eyes and settled in to wait until the doors opened again.

As much as he despised the former-pharaoh, he couldn't help but be a little relieved that he wasn't there alone.

To be continued...


	3. The Gathering of the Gods

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

**A New Beginning  
Chapter 3: The Gathering of the Gods**  
By Shadow's Mirror

Yami arched an eyebrow as Bakura, sitting beside him, began to inch towards the door that had closed behind them only a few moments earlier. "Bakura... where are you going?"

"To eavesdrop unashamedly. I can hear voices." The white-haired boy wiggled a little closer to the door.

"That door must be at least a foot thick. I did not know your hearing was that good." Yami tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice, for the sake of harmony. This was no time for them to get into an argument. Things were bad enough, but at least neither of them had to endure the situation alone. That would have been intolerable.

"It's not. The door may be thick, but there's an inch gap at the bottom." Bakura's lips twisted into a half-hearted parody of his usual wicked grin as he got within arm's reach of the door. Ignoring Yami's hissed whisper for him to 'get back here and stop embarrassing us', he stretched out on his belly on the floor. With his head now beside the crack under the door, he could hear what was being said on the other side.

He didn't relay the news to Yami. If the former Pharaoh wanted information, let him lower his pride enough to eavesdrop as well.

"I do not understand, Thoth. Why are you so worried about them being here? They have come to be judged. Why can the judgement not proceed as usual?" The voice was so soft Bakura had to strain to hear it. It was a female, so he thought it was probably either Isis or Nepthys who was speaking.

"Because... it is **them**!" Thoth's voice trembled with either nerves or excitement. "Oh dear, oh dear. I knew this day would come, but I had no idea it would be today!"

"Thoth." The low voice was Anubis's. "Perhaps you had best explain?"

"Oh yes, of course. Forgive me, my Lord." Bakura could picture the scribe bowing to Osiris. "I am a little... overcome. In all the millennia we have issued judgements, nothing even remotely like this has occurred before."

"What, exactly, is 'this'?" The voice was low and feminine with a mix of amusement and confusion. It put Bakura in mind of warm honey and he somehow knew that it was Isis who spoke. The one before, then, must have been Nepthys. Or possibly one of the Maats.

"The situation, at its most basic, is that the two who have come here today have already been... Oh dear. This is really quite disturbing." There was a low, discrete cough that sounded like it might have come from the spot where Anubis's voice had come from earlier and Thoth sounded a little embarrassed when he continued. "They have already been judged."

There was a moment of silence, as if everyone in the room was as surprised by that news. That or else they were stunned that Thoth had put it so simply after hesitating so much. Bakura wasn't sure which surprised him more, either. When he thought about it for a moment, though, he realised that he really shouldn't have been at all surprised as to the nature of the problem.

A third female voice came and Bakura finally had his identification of the first voice, for Maat spoke in calm, measured tones that seemed to bear the weight of Justice within every word she uttered. "I recall two of unusual purity, who came as these two did today, directly to the outer hall without passing through the Realm of the Dead. They spoke the Negative Confession and I could tell the white-haired one lied, however the feathers remained in balance for both of them. When we looked into their hearts, we found only light and were so delighted at finding two so pure of heart that we allowed them to pass on to the Afterlife without hesitation."

A low, deep voice spoke and Bakura barely repressed a shiver as he realised it was Osiris himself he was hearing. "Thoth, if you knew of this matter then, why did you not speak of it until now?" There was no censure in his voice, only curiosity.

"Because I did not then know of it, my Lord." Thoth sighed. "Indeed, I was as happy about their purity as everyone else. However, afterwards, Maat seemed troubled and I asked what was bothering her. She told me about her feeling that the white-haired one had lied during his Negative Confession and that made me curious. So... I looked into the matter. But what with one thing and another... By the time I realised what had happened, it was too late. They had both already been reborn. Since then, neither of them has been reborn into an Egyptian body."

"As long as they follow other beliefs in life, we have no power over them in death. This matter has therefore remained unresolved all this time. I see." Osiris was silent for a few moments, as if weighing up the matter. "So their souls were divided, dark and light, and we judged their light halves at that time. Now their dark halves have come before us. I assume that 'dark' and 'light' correctly indicates the... contents... of those half souls?"

"I fear so. That is why both light halves passed without trouble at that time, even though at least one of them had failed the Negative Confession, and it is also why the white-haired one spoke as he did earlier. He is correct, I fear. The weighing of their souls will indeed be inaccurate in this case. They both have nothing but darkness within them. Against the feather of truth, both will surely weigh heavily." Thoth had apparently overcome his hesitation.

"However, that is not the only problem here, or am I mistaken?" It was Isis speaking again.

"No. I fear not. Even if we were to find a way to weigh these dark souls accurately, it seems that they remain linked to their other halves. There is a chance that we could judge them safely, however, there is also a chance that whatever judgement we pass today could affect not only them, but the two linked to them, also."

"I presume those two are not within our jurisdiction at present?" Osiris sounded quite weary.

"I fear not, my Lord. The repercussions could be quite disastrous. We could even be accused of stealing their souls." Thoth sounded both indignant and horrified of that outcome.

Bakura took a few deep breaths as he seethed in silence. He would have liked to have let loose with a few choice words over how callous they were being. Hearing them talk so casually about the lives of the two lights infuriated him. He was suddenly glad that Yami had not joined him in listening. There would have been no keeping the righteously indignant former Pharaoh quiet if he had heard.

Osiris sighed heavily. "Then it appears that we have quite a problem on our hands. What to do with these two..."

"Perhaps we should call the others. Together, we may be able to find a solution." Isis sounded calm.

"As always, sister, you speak with wisdom. Thoth! Summon the others here. Immediately."

"As you wish, my Lord." There was a moment's hesitation, then, "All of them?"

Osiris paused a moment as well. "All." He sounded quite thoughtful.

Bakura frowned as Yami tapped him on the shoulder. He quickly, but silently, sat up and leaned in to whisper in the other's ear. "If they hear us, they'll know we can hear them. What is it?"

"I wish to know what is going on." Yami whispered back.

"They're trying to work out what to do with us. They've already judged the other halves of our souls, and they know they can't fairly judge us in the normal way. So they're calling the others in to discuss the matter." Bakura gave Yami an irritated look. "Why am I telling you this? If you're so curious, listen in for yourself. Now, if you don't mind, it sounds like Osiris wasn't kidding around when he asked Thoth to get them all there 'immediately'."

Bakura lay down again, resolving to ignore any further tappings from the other dark spirit. He had not been joking about the rapid response to Osiris's summons. From inside the Hall of Judgement, he could definitely hear the sound of many voices muttering. Far more than there had been barely a minute earlier. Putting aside his thoughts about Ancient Egyptian Gods and their possible use of teleporters, Bakura returned his attention to his shameless eavesdropping in time to hear Osiris giving a brief summary of the situation.

The collective gasp that followed would have made him smirk if the situation hadn't been so serious.

After that, the conversation became much harder to follow. Considering how many Gods and Goddesses the Ancient Egyptians had believed in, Bakura wasn't surprised at being unable to identify any of the new voices he heard. He was, however, rather insulted that most of them seemed to be completely uncaring as to the fate of the two innocent lights. There seemed to be an awful lot of people saying things like 'just judge them as normal' and 'if they have done bad things, then surely they were bad people when their souls were undivided'.

Although there were a lot of voices, most of them were fairly soft-spoken, so Anubis's echoing rumble rose clearly over all of them. "Could we perhaps... send them back to the mortal world?"

Bakura's heart leapt, but his hopes were dashed immediately by Thoth's indignant reply.

"Send them back? Send them back?! Do you have any idea how much trouble that would cause? Just think of the paperwork! Are you prepared to spend a hundred years filling out forms on their behalf?"

After that outburst, the other voices continued to debate the precarious issue, their voices too low to be heard aside from the odd phrase or two, but then the two familiar voices came again, only nearer. Apparently Anubis and Thoth had moved to the back of the room to talk together quietly.

"Um... a hundred years, you said?" Anubis sounded surprisingly hesitant about asking.

"Yes." Thoth still sounded quite irritated with his associate.

"Do you not think that to be a trifle... excessive?" Apparently curiosity had won out over hesitation.

"It is either that or twelve tasks, and you know how troublesome that was for our Grecian cousins." Thoth sighed heavily.

"Good point." Bakura could actually hear the shudder in the death god's voice.

"It is not as if..." Thoth seemed to realise his voice was a little too shrill and dropped it to a whisper. "No, never mind."

"What is it?" Anubis's voice had dropped almost too low for Bakura to hear him. Almost.

"I was just going to say... It is not as if... I do not wish they could... go back." Was that regret in the scribe's voice? "It would be the best solution. Send them back to their other halves and then petition the Gods involved to rejoin their souls from four to two after the light ones have lived out their lives. We could judge them fairly then."

"So why not suggest that? Osiris listens to you and it sounds like a good plan to me."

"There is a problem with it." Thoth sighed. "When I summoned the others here, I also did some research on the situation. When those two came here, all seven of the Millennium Items also vanished from the mortal world. Indeed, it seems that the Shadow Magic itself has gone. Or perhaps I should say, the link between that world and the Shadow Realm is no more."

"You are saying that those two... are the link? Oh shadows..."

Bakura blinked. Somehow, he hadn't expected to hear that particular expression ever again. It was oddly... reassuring.

"No, no. I believe it is a little more complicated than that. We are dealing with the results of a very powerful spell, here. A spell strong enough to require two lives as its price and sunder two souls in the taking of them. I believe the spell also maintained the link to the Shadow Realm and ensured that the Shadow Magic required for the Shadow Games remained in the mortal world, even after most other magic faded with the advance of science." Thoth still spoke quietly, but his passion for this particular subject was clear in his voice, despite that.

Anubis took a few moments before replying. "But now the spell has ended. They are here, the link to the Shadow Realm is gone and the Millennium Items are gone with it."

"The Items that gave those with the Shadow Magic abilities over life, death and reason, in some ways. You know how Ra and Osiris feel about that." Thoth sighed heavily.

"I do. They have long voiced their disapproval on mortals wielding such power. They will not wish to return those abilities, now they have been lost." Anubis sighed as well.

Thoth made a soft sound of distress. "Yet if those two return... I am certain the link to the Shadow Realm will return, also. Likely the Millennium Items as well." He lowered his voice a little more. "Perhaps even with their powers restored in full, for those that were rendered useless."

Anubis again took a few moments before replying. Just enough time to wince at the thought, in fact. "Ra and Osiris would not be at all pleased about that. How likely is it?"

"I could not say. It is only a hypothesis at this point. About the restoration of the abilities, at least. About the Items' return in general, I am more confident in my belief."

This time, Anubis's reply was longer in coming and he sounded very reluctant to voice it when he did finally speak again. "Ra and Osiris will need to be told."

Bakura was distracted from hearing Thoth's reply by Yami tapping him on the shoulder. Hard. He rolled over onto his side to glare at the other dark spirit, but paused in mid-move when he saw the reason for Yami's interruption. He blinked in confusion as he watched the reason run lightly across the room to the doors. He blinked again in disbelief when they opened just enough for the slender body to slip through into the Hall of Judgement.

As the doors closed again, Bakura found Yami leaning over him, breathing in his ear. Before he could bat him away in annoyance, though, Yami whispered, "Please tell me that you saw that, also and I am not going insane."

Bakura almost didn't answer him and it was on the tip of his tongue to say 'aren't you already?' but for once, he sympathised with Yami. He was just as baffled by what he'd just seen. "If by 'that' you mean a fluffy white cat that just sauntered into a room where all the Gods and Goddesses of Egypt are gathered, then yes, I saw it too." He lay down again to resume his listening, very curious as to who, or what, had just passed them.

At first there was nothing but the same old murmuring, with some more obvious arguments in the background. But then Bakura noticed that the muttering was gradually becoming quieter and the silence seemed to be spreading from the back of the chamber to the front. It was as if someone was making their way to the dais where Osiris was and everyone was falling silent in either awe or shock in that one's wake.

Osiris's voice seemed overly loud when it came, no longer needing to be heard over muttering voices. "So, you came."

A soft, light, female voice replied, her tone one of both mild amusement and gentle remonstration. "Forgive my tardiness. Thoth's summons caught me in the middle of a bath. I see that you have begun without me."

"We were not sure you would join us." Osiris sounded as if he was not quite sure that it was a good thing that she had. "The situation..."

"I am aware of it." Whoever the speaker was, it seemed that she was unafraid of interrupting Osiris when he was speaking, something that very few were. "Indeed, I know far more of this situation than any other."

At her words, a ripple of mutterings spread through the chamber. When they all ceased at the same moment, Bakura suspected that Osiris had held his hand up for silence.

"Explain." A simple word with all the weight of his position behind it.

The female voice came again, her words echoing through the chamber as she spoke with the confidence of one who knows every word she speaks to be the truth. "If those two children are not immediately returned to their other halves, and the Millennium Items with them, then the mortal world will soon descend into madness and chaos, the likes of which it has not known for eons."

To be continued...


	4. The Judgement of Osiris

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

**A New Beginning  
Chapter 4: The Judgement of Osiris**  
By Shadow's Mirror

_"If those two children are not immediately returned to their other halves, and the Millennium Items with them, then the mortal world will soon descend into madness and chaos, the likes of which it has not known for aeons."_

It was a measure of how silent the room had fallen that the soft words were heard clearly all the way to the back of the Hall of Judgement and even through the crack under the door that a stunned and very curious former Tombrobber was listening at. That silence also made the voices that rose in alarm following the startling announcement seem all the louder. Although most of them cut off again just as suddenly, Osiris obviously having raised his hand for silence, there were a few that continued.

"How, by all the stars, could you possibly know that? You have not even been in the mortal world for... how long has it been now? Three thousand years?"

The voice was reedy and thin with a slight sneer. Bakura's lip drew back in a silent snarl. It was one of the voices that had argued the loudest for judging the two yamis as normal and disregarding any potential danger to their lights. He'd disliked it before but that feeling was quickly growing.

"Indeed! Why even Isis does not have such knowledge and something like this is far more in her area than yours."

The second voice was high and scratchy and made Bakura's head hurt. He scowled. The speaker's attitude was just as unpleasant as her voice. Again, it was one of the voices that had been advocating normal judgement, earlier.

"Quite so, quite so. You were never particularly gifted in prophecy or seeing and to tell Lord Osiris what to do in such a bold way... you forget your place, Cousin."

This time the voice was deep and clear with careful enunciation and precisely clipped words. It also left a rather oily impression on Bakura, who scowled even more at the door. He had a sudden urge to open the door, march up to the speaker and confine his soul into something incredibly ugly. Only the knowledge that he no longer had access to the Shadow Magic stopped him.

Bakura had noticed it the moment he'd arrived in the black marble antechamber, but he'd ruthlessly shoved it to the back of his mind. Since then, he'd successfully distracted himself away from the thought, so the sudden reminder of his powerless state hit him hard. Fortunately, it was barely a moment before he was again distracted from such thoughts.

"It has been over five millennia since I walked the mortal Earth, and a few years more since I was last in the company of even one of you." The soft voice rose effortlessly over the low rumbling of whispers that followed that comment, to continue. "It is also true that my own gifts of prophecy and seeing are not strong and that others here, including Isis, have far more knowledge of such things than I. However..." The soft voice suddenly sharpened slightly, rising a little more to counter the louder surge of whispers and mumbling. "It is not **my** power that has shown me of what I warn and it is precisely because I have not been in the mortal world that I have seen it!"

As the Hall of Judgement again filled with the sounds of many disbelievers muttering and whispering, Bakura found it difficult to make out what any particular voice was saying. Then he heard two familiar voices. Apparently Anubis and Thoth were still standing just on the other side of the door from him.

"It seems that this situation is about to get considerably more complicated."

Anubis had just a touch of amusement in his voice when he replied. "Most situations do when she is involved in them. However, in this case, considering where she has been..."

There was a moment of silence before Thoth sighed softly. "I am no seer, but I foresee myself needing to do a lot of paperwork by the time this is all over."

"You believe she will get her way?"

"She is not the sort to be so dramatic without good cause." Now the scribe sounded rather worried. "I wonder if perhaps I missed something while researching this matter."

While they had been talking, the muttering in the rest of the room had begun to quieten, so Thoth's last comment was a little louder than it should have been.

"Ahem. Thoth. Is there something you wish to share with everyone?"

"What? Oh, er... no, Lord Osiris. It is nothing. Forgive me." Thoth sounded very embarrassed.

Bakura stared at the door in shock before biting back a grin. Yami leaned over his shoulder to whisper in his ear. "Something amuses you?"

"Just had a flashback to one of Ryou's classes a few months ago. I never knew Osiris was so like a teacher." Bakura somehow managed to keep from snickering, both at the thought of the dignified and powerful God saying almost the same thing as Ryou's fussy and mild-mannered math teacher and at the look of disbelief that crossed Yami's face at that reply. "Shh, they're quiet again." He returned to his task of eavesdropping on the Gods and Goddesses gathered in the next room.

"Now then... you were about to explain yourself, I believe." Osiris's voice made it clear that if she didn't, then she would regret it.

"Indeed, Lord Osiris." There was a soft sound like the padding of four small paws approaching the dais and turning to face the others. "As most of you know, I have chosen to make my home in another land. There are some in that land with the gift of prophecy and others for whom seeing is as simple a matter as closing their eyes or looking into a mirror. I have spoken with them all and they have all told me the same thing. A time of great danger to the mortal world approaches, but it is not an unfamiliar threat. It is something we have all seen before. However, that was long ago and with nothing more occurring since, it appears that most of you have forgotten such a threat still exists."

There was no censor in her voice, she was simply stating what she perceived as a fact, but the low grumbling that followed her words showed that there were a few who had taken offence anyway.

She waited until the grumbling died down a little before continuing. "When it stirred before, the chaos that could have come from it was stopped only by great effort and sacrifice. However, there was something else it resulted in, at the time. A prophecy." Again she needed to wait while murmurs and whispers filled the hall, but this time Osiris called for silence almost immediately.

"The prophecy speaks of a time when the danger will rise up to again threaten the mortal world. It speaks also of the Shadow Magic and how a battle will be fought, not unlike the great battle that occurred last time." Someone in the room groaned loudly at that, but she continued to speak without interruption. "It offers hope, but it also tells of the fate that will befall the world if the events of the past are repeated."

Although the room was now as silent as the tombs the Egyptians were famous for, the speaker's words did not soften. Instead, her voice rose, her words ringing out throughout the room.

"The world will suffer as it never has before. All the chaos and pain of the past will be nothing compared to what will be, if the rising evil is not recognised and fought against. No one will be safe. The dark power will corrupt everything in its path. The mortal world will fall and our world will follow. Just as it almost did the last time."

While the last word echoed around the room, the silence remained. Moments after it faded away, the whispers and mutters and murmurs and grumbles began in earnest. But over them all, the deep voice that had raised the last major objection, the one calling the speaker 'cousin', rose again.

"Not all prophecies come to pass. These recent events have ensured that this one will not. You mentioned the use of 'Shadow Magic'," the speaker's disdain for it was clear in his voice, "Yet, is it not true that the Millennium Items vanished from the world at the same time as the two who await Judgement? You know as well as I that it was only their continued existence that allowed those items, and the magic itself, to remain at any real strength when all other magic has long since faded from the mortal world. Whatever small amount of power may remain in a handful of mortals, it is inconsequential. You speak of a threat where there is none. The magic is almost gone now. There can be no further threat from it. Certainly, there is no one on the mortal world now who could gather the sort of power needed for any sort of 'battle'!"

While he had been speaking, the other voices had grown silent, but at his triumphant conclusion they all began to talk again and it was clear from the cheerful tone of most of them that the majority were in agreement with the speaker.

"Quiet!"

Osiris's voice filled the room, commanding and powerful, and instantly there was silence.

Bakura trembled ever so slightly. His sharp ears had picked up on what, in all likelihood, most of those on the other side of the door had not. Osiris's voice had been so tightly controlled that only a thin note of his emotion had entered his voice.

Osiris was angry. Very angry.

"You arrogant and empty-headed fool! Have all your wits been addled by the passage of time? It was not the Millennium Items that caused all that trouble back then!" Filled with rage and a rather astonishing amount of power so tangible that it was almost a physical force, the young male voice rang out through the chamber.

Bakura almost fell over in shock. He honestly hadn't thought that the mild-mannered scribe had it in him to speak so forcefully.

"Thoth?" Judging by the surprise in Osiris's voice, Bakura wasn't the only one stunned by the outburst. Even the rest of the room remained silent... although the muffled thumps from the direction of the previous voice made it sound as if he was being forcibly restrained and muffled in order to keep the silence unbroken.

"Forgive me, my Lord Osiris." Thoth's voice was quiet again and Bakura could mentally see him bowing low in deference to the more powerful God. "But everyone was so convinced by his words and yet I know for a fact that they are... misleading."

"Really? I would have said that they are complete nonsense." Osiris's matter-of-fact condemnation of the other God's passionate speech caused more than a few shocked gasps from the assembled group. "I know, Thoth. Do not worry. His words did not stir me in the least. Unlike most here, so it would seem, I recall well the details of the time concerned. However, there is one point among all his nonsense that I would like clarified, if you please."

"Of course, my Lord."

Thoth sounded curious and he wasn't the only one. Bakura listened intently and waved off Yami when he tried to ask what was going on.

"The Shadow Magic is weakened, yet remains in the mortal world. It is true, however, that the Millennium Items do not and those who were their bearers are powerless now. Thoth, in your estimation, if the event foretold was to occur now... what would be the outcome?"

"Widespread chaos, destruction and likely the fall of the mortal world."

For some reason, when Thoth said it in his quiet, scholarly voice, it made the words seem far more oppressive; the danger far more real. Or perhaps that was caused by how prompt his response had been. As if the answer was so obvious that it had required no thought at all.

"For the sake of everyone here... would you kindly explain why that is." Osiris spoke very quietly.

"Of course, my Lord. It is because of the nature of prophecies. They only ever reveal one potential future, however it is always the one that Fate is leading towards. Although there remains, on the mortal world, those with the strength to fight against anything that might occur, the only ones capable of changing or reversing the course of Fate... are the bearers of the Millennium Items."

The muttering rose again in the room but Bakura realised that this time it was different. This time, the assembled Gods and Goddesses were not merely arguing among themselves or voicing their opinions to their neighbours, they were seriously confirming what they all seemed to know as fact.

Bakura felt his hand touch his chest and realised he'd unconsciously moved to clasp the Ring he was used to having there. Not for the first time since his arrival in the antechamber to the Hall of Judgement, the ex-Tombrobber wished for its reassuring presence. His other hand rose to clutch the hand already on his chest and he bowed his head slightly, resting his chin on his tightly clasped hands.

He wasn't praying, he told himself. He was only hoping that the Gods and Goddesses would see that the Millennium Items were still needed on the mortal world.

Ever since the unknown Goddess had first mentioned that the world was facing some sort of threat, Bakura had been conscious of a fear deep in his belly. It would have overwhelmed him if his eavesdropping hadn't distracted him. It wasn't that he really cared what happened to the mortal world. He was no longer a part of it, so it didn't concern him at all. But...

Ryou was still there.

Bakura forced down the fear that rose within him as an image of Ryou's frightened face came into his mind. He had seen that look on his Light's face so many times... Mostly put there by things he himself had done. But that was a different matter.

Ryou was his Light. His!

No one else was allowed to mess with his Light!

That he was now powerless to protect the boy was not a pleasant realisation.

But if the Gods and Goddesses knew that only the bearers of the Millennium Items could affect destiny, then there was a chance. Even if he and Yami weren't sent back, if the Items were restored then Ryou would be safe. He couldn't use the Ring, but that was because Bakura had never let him realise there was power in it. Without him there, Ryou would surely be able to learn enough to at least protect himself. Surely.

"Thoth..."

At the sound of Osiris's voice within the Hall of Judgement, Bakura emptied his mind as best he could and focused once again on his eavesdropping.

"Your words now seem at odds with what you said earlier. Why did you make no mention of this aspect of the matter until now?" Osiris did not sound angry, merely curious.

"Ah... well..."

Was it Bakura's imagination or did the Ibis-headed scribe sound rather embarrassed?

"That would be because that particular prophecy had... er... slipped my mind, my Lord."

No, he was definitely embarrassed.

"It is oddly reassuring to me that even your incredible memory is unable to keep track of every single detail of an event that occurred so long ago." There was a hint of a smile in the Death God's voice. "I must confess, it had slipped my mind, also." The smile was gone as quickly as it had come. "This... is most troubling. It cannot be left unconsidered."

Silence descended on the room as if the assembled Gods and Goddesses were unwilling to disturb Osiris as he pondered this new information.

Out in the antechamber, Bakura did his best not to fidget in his impatience. To his mind, the course of action was obvious. Restore the Millennium Items to their bearers. Along with the spirits of the Puzzle and the Ring, naturally. Then they could stop whatever was going to happen. After all, saving the world from weirdos, himself excepted of course, was pretty much Yami's hobby.

As for himself... Well, if it meant keeping Ryou safe... er... getting out of here and back to the mortal world... then Bakura supposed that he could help too. Just this once.

Unconsciously, Bakura's hands rose to clasp each other in front of his chest again as he wished that they would decide to send both Items and Spirits back to where they belonged.

It was just a wish. A wish from the deepest recesses of his heart. It definitely wasn't a prayer.

Considering how many times he'd sworn or raged against the Gods, Bakura doubted that any of his prayers would ever be answered, anyway.

A few moments later, Bakura's attention was distracted away from his not-prayer as Osiris's solemn voice broke the silence inside the Hall of Judgement.

"I stand in judgement over the souls of the dead. It is not my place to decide the fate of the living. You are the ones who preside over the mortals as they live their lives. For countless ages you have watched over them. For that reason, I gathered you all here and I thank you all for your assistance. I have listened to you all and I have done what I do best. I have made my judgement."

Although his words were quietly spoken, they carried a weight that was felt by all who heard them. Bakura couldn't help the slight shudder that ran through his body at the sense of power he got from those last few words alone. He had trouble swallowing and he closed his eyes to try and block out any unwanted distractions, so he could focus solely on the God of the Dead's voice.

"I have heard all of your words and I realise now that the matter is really far more simple than I had thought. Prophecies and the restoration of the Millennium Items to the mortal world... Such matters are not my concern. To influence the living in any way is beyond my jurisdiction. I judge the souls of the dead. No more, no less." Surprised murmurs rose throughout the hall, but Osiris continued to talk and the voices silenced instantly, as if in fear of missing a single word of his decision.

"Everyone is judged once for each life they live. That is the rule. These two half-souls that have now come for Judgement... When the other halves of their souls came before me, I judged them as if they were whole. Furthermore, these two have been spirits, not living mortal lives. Therefore, I deem that the judgements made at that time cover these two, also. There will be no further judgement made on them. Again, I thank all of you for your assistance."

Once more, there was an outbreak of murmurs, but this time they seemed more satisfied. They also seemed to be moving. Apparently, the gathering in the Hall of Judgement was over.

When there was complete silence again, Osiris sighed heavily. "Of course, having said that, it leaves the question of what to do with them. We really cannot have two souls wandering around here. They make the place look untidy. Let me see... Ah yes, that will do quite nicely, I believe." There was a note of satisfaction in his voice that had not been there earlier.

"Anubis, you will enter the dreams of the two who bore the Millennium Puzzle and the Millennium Ring. You will ask both mortals if they wish the return of the other half of their soul. If one or both agrees, see it gets done. If not, then send the soul concerned to... oh, I think Limbo should suffice."

"Yes, my Lord Osiris. It shall be done."

"Good. So that just leaves... Thoth! Whatever the outcome of Anubis's visits, petition the appropriate God to rejoin both sets of half-souls upon the deaths of the two mortals concerned. That should take care of this divided soul business once and for all."

"As you wish, my Lord Osiris. I shall make a start on the paperwork immediately."

"Excellent. Well then, off you both go. No, Thoth, I think perhaps the other exit would be best. No sense in getting their hopes up."

"Of course, my Lord."

As silence fell one last time in the Hall of Judgement, out in the antechamber Bakura slowly sat up and turned wide, stunned eyes to Yami. For a long moment, he could do nothing but stare at his old nemesis, until Yami finally grabbed hold of his upper arms and gently shook him.

"For goodness sake, Bakura, snap out of it! What is it? What did you hear?" He frowned deeply. "Has Osiris made his decision?"

Bakura tried to speak, swallowed hard when his voice came out as nothing more than a squeak, then tried again. "He has."

Seeing Yami's impatience in his flashing eyes, Bakura managed to gather his thoughts a little more. "He told Anubis to go and talk to our lights in their dreams. He's to ask them if they want us back and return us to them if they say yes. If they say no... we're to be sent to Limbo."

He felt so numb that he couldn't even work up any satisfaction at seeing Yami's stunned reaction to his words. Leaning his head back against the wall, he waited for the news to sink in.

"Bakura! We are going back!" Yami beamed at the other dark spirit, his smile quickly fading when he noticed the resigned expression on the white-haired boy's face. "You are not happy about it?"

"After everything I did... everything I said... what makes you think Ryou would ever want me back? He's finally free of me." Bakura moved, lifting his knees to his chest and hugging them tightly as he bowed his head. His voice was so soft that the tremble in it was barely noticeable, he assured himself. He had no doubt the infernal Pharaoh would still notice it, though.

Yami moved so he was sitting beside Bakura, his back also against the wall. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, but without any trace of the pity that Bakura had been expecting to hear. "Perhaps, but then again... Ryou was never asked if he wished you to go. He may surprise you."

Bakura's soft chuckle was empty of mirth and held more self-pity than he would ever admit to feeling. "Somehow, Yami, I doubt that."

To be continued...


	5. Conversation with a Cat

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: My spelling may seem a little odd to some readers at times. Just so you know, I'm not misspelling words like 'realise' and 'judgement' - that is how they are spelled here in Australia.

**A New Beginning  
Chapter 5: Conversation with a Cat**  
By Shadow's Mirror

As Bakura brooded over his likely fate in the antechamber and Yami attempted to not crow in triumph, but be sensitive to his former-enemy's state of mind, neither of the boys realised that not all of the conversation inside the Hall of Judgement had ceased.

- - -

"That was most well done, I must say." The white cat seemed to smile as the one she was talking to blinked and looked down at her in surprise.

"Oh... are you still here?" Osiris did his best to sound as bored as possible.

The cat chuckled softly. "But of course. I could not resist congratulating you on an excellent judgement." She began to delicately lick one paw.

Osiris made a sound that, coming from any lesser being, would have been considered a snort. "In other words, one which suited your purpose." He sounded amused rather than annoyed.

Again, the white cat chuckled. "That too. Although, I suspect it suited yours, also."

Only the tiniest jerk of his body betrayed that she'd hit upon the truth. "As I said... I judge the dead, nothing more and nothing less. The lives of mortals do not concern me in the slightest." He shrugged, still sounding bored, then frowned at her. "Must you do that?"

"What?" She paused in the middle of wiping her dampened paw over her face and blinked at him.

"That... thing... you are doing with your paw." He looked a little disgusted.

"You mean this?" She wiped her face again and chuckled as he scowled at her in response. "As I said earlier, you caught me in the middle of a bath."

"That is no reason to continue it now!" Osiris shuddered. "How that can be called 'bathing' is beyond my comprehension. Cats are not clean... they are merely covered in cat drool."

She laughed in obvious delight. "Now now, there is no need to be so grumpy. It is a good day, after all. We both got what we wanted. The spirits will return to the mortal world and the boys who wait for them. The danger will be averted, the world will be saved and everyone will live happily ever after." Her blue eyes gleamed.

Osiris frowned at her. "You make it sound as if this is some fairytale. We both know that things may not go as smoothly as that." He looked towards the great door that led out to the antechamber. "The white-haired one was listening. He knows it may not work out well for him." Perhaps it was the way his soft words echoed slightly in the large room that made his voice sound a little sad.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." The white cat smiled. "I notice that you did not refute what I said. But as I said before, it was a superb judgement. The way you listened to the others and then went ahead and did exactly what you had intended to do from the beginning was simply magnificent."

"No." Osiris shook his head and looked seriously at her. "Not from the beginning. I had believed it to be a normal judgement. When they came in here, I was as shocked to see them as anyone."

"That was when you realised who they were?" She sounded curious and not at all surprised by his revelation.

Osiris smiled slightly. "The moment they entered the room. There could be no mistaking their hair. I knew I had to do something, but I was still debating with myself as to exactly what when the white-haired one spoke up, as bold as you please." He chuckled. "Time has not made him any more reverent to us."

A soft chuckle preceded her reply. "True. However, he is not quite as he once was."

"Oh?" Osiris tried so sound as if he wasn't interested. He failed miserably.

She nodded. "There is gentleness in him when he deals with the mortal child who carries the other half of his soul. Not a lot, but it is there and it has been growing. Slowly, but still... It is a start."

The death god eyed the cat thoughtfully. "A little gentleness is not much to bear the weight of such great hopes." His words were cryptic, but he knew she would understand him.

"I know." She smiled gently. "But a mortal heart filled with kindness and sensitivity is well able to support it enough so it can."

Osiris smiled a little and nodded. "I see." He was quiet for a moment before he sighed softly. "Do you suppose the others... suspect?" His words were so soft they were barely audible even in the chamber where whispers sounded as loudly as shouts.

"That you called them here solely so you could avoid their complaining later on that you had done entirely as you had pleased in this matter, without regard to any possible consequences? I doubt it very much. Well... Anubis and Thoth might... and your sisters of course. The others will be too busy talking about what a strong and commanding judge you are to realise that their opinions on the matter were entirely dismissed." Her eyes twinkled merrily. "You struck the perfect balance in what you said. They felt as if they had been consulted and had guided you to your judgement. I am sure they will never realise your decision had been made long before they entered this chamber."

"Yes... well..." Osiris cleared his throat and tried not to grin. Just because she had chosen to ignore almost all protocol and appear in the hall in her current form, it didn't mean that he could just forget his sense of dignity. "Even so, what I said was not untrue. I am bound by certain limits and this was bordering on being outside my jurisdiction. I could not have made such a judgement without good cause. Your words provided that." He eyed her curiously. "Was that why you came here?"

She smiled and shrugged. "You called for all of us. Even now, I remain one of you."

Osiris wasn't convinced. "You seemed to be incredibly well prepared for this, considering that the summons caught you in the middle of 'bathing', as you call it." He grimaced and she laughed softly.

"I have been watching recent events as they unfolded on the mortal world. When I realised they were coming here, I decided to do what I could to help them." She shrugged again.

The death god eyed the small white cat thoughtfully. "You did not come here to merely inform us all of the prophecy, did you? You came here willing to speak on their behalf, if necessary."

"Someone needed to." Her voice was very soft. "Every word I spoke was true. A danger draws ever nearer and it will take the Millennium Items to deal with it. However, the spirits do not really need to return as well. Not for that. But with everything they have done, everything they have faced... I believe that they have both more than earned some time to simply be happy and live their lives with those they care for." She licked her paw and wiped it across her face again.

Osiris eyed her thoughtfully and decided not to grumble about her actions. "All of this... for them? The Pharaoh, I understand. His actions have always been for the greater good. But... why show such concern for the Tombrobber?" He was baffled and not afraid to show it.

"Because I do not believe that he is entirely beyond all hope of redemption. Of course... whether or not he gets the chance to prove it will depend on his Light taking him back now. His fate lies in that boy's hands." The white cat stretched, her back arching, as Osiris nodded.

"I must confess... I am curious as to what his answer will be."

"As am I." She moved slightly and then sat down again.

Osiris blinked at her. "You are sitting on my foot."

"Of course. I am a cat, after all. It is what we do."

As Osiris tried to make sense of that reasoning, Bastet, daughter of the most powerful Ra, the God of the Sun and Osiris's great-grandfather, calmly continued to sit on his foot as she began to clean her whiskers.

Despite her intervention and the best judgement Osiris could have made, in the end, it all came down to the decision of two mortal youths.

- - -

Anubis had followed his orders to the letter.

He had visited Yugi Moto's dreams and informed him of the situation... and then found himself being tightly hugged by a very happy and excited boy who couldn't wait for his Yami to come back home to him.

Ryou Bakura's dreams had also been entered and the situation explained, but the bearer of the Ring's reaction had been very different to the bearer of the Puzzle's. On hearing that he could choose to have his yami return to him, the boy had bowed his head and bitten his lip hard, but remained silent.

Anubis's voice was almost kind. "If you need time to consider your decision..."

Ryou shook his head and looked up, then smiled a little sadly. "Thank you, but no. I have made my choice."

To be continued...


	6. Ryou's Decision

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

**A New Beginning  
Chapter 6: Ryou's Decision**  
By Shadow's Mirror

The sound of an unseen door opening somewhere in the antechamber of the Hall of Judgement, followed by the slow measured tread of footsteps crossing the marble floor, was all the warning the two yamis had before Anubis rounded a pillar and stopped directly in front of where they were sitting. He looked at them silently.

Yami quickly scrambled to his feet. The two of them weren't supposed to know what had been decided about their fates, but the former Pharaoh was unable to keep a spark of hope out of his eyes as he waited for the God to speak.

Despite Yami's obvious impatience, Bakura took his time in regaining his feet. Unlike his rival, the former Tombrobber held no hope for rescue. If he glanced at Anubis's face, it was to see if he was in trouble for eavesdropping and nothing more. But the jackal-head could have been carved from stone, for all the expression Anubis was showing, and Bakura looked away again just as quickly.

Anubis looked at Yami, then at Bakura and finally spoke. His deep voice was soft, yet the chamber they were in caused it to echo eerily around them.

"Osiris has made his judgement. I was sent into the dreams of the bearer of the Millennium Puzzle and the bearer of the Millennium Ring to ask them one question. I was to ask each of them if they wished for your return. If they answered yes, I am to return you to your other. If they answered no, you will go from here and spend Eternity in Limbo. Do you understand?"

Yami started to nod immediately, but visibly restrained himself and nodded with all the dignity of his former stature. "I do."

Anubis turned his head and Bakura forced himself to meet the calm gaze that told him nothing. He nodded once, briefly. "Yes." Was that a flicker of amusement in Anubis's eyes? The God returned his attention to Yami again before Bakura could decide.

"Pharaoh Atem. Yugi Moto has requested that you be returned to him." The flicker of a smile crossed Anubis's face as Yami's dignified front fell away and he beamed happily.

"Thank you!"

The God of Death nodded in reply and turned slightly, as if looking for something. A spot of light appeared in the middle of the room and rapidly grew into a shining silver portal. Anubis turned back to Yami and smiled a little as he gestured to it. "Your light awaits."

Yami could barely contain himself as he started towards the portal, but within a few steps he faltered and looked back at the other dark one, as if drawing the same conclusion that Bakura already had as to why only he had been offered the gateway home. "Bakura..."

The other yami quickly shook his head. "Don't. I'm not one for long goodbyes." He paused and then blurted out, as if he was afraid he would not say if it he spoke normally, "If you could... sort of look in on Ryou now and then... Make sure he's all right... That sort of thing... I..." He shook his head, unable to finish the sentence.

Yami smiled a little and nodded. "Of course." He turned and continued on to the gateway without another word.

The portal vanished as soon as he passed through it. Bakura bowed his head. Although he had expected as much, it still hurt to see it.

Anubis studied the white-haired boy, his expression still an inscrutable mask. "Yugi Moto's response was so simple that it was easiest to simply relay it. But Ryou Bakura's response... was otherwise. It would be better for you to hear your light half's reply for yourself." His tone was as expressionless as his face.

His head still bowed, Bakura nodded and took a steadying breath, then lifted his head and looked into the orb that appeared in front of him. He had to fight to keep his emotions off his face when Ryou's head and shoulders appeared in the image.

Anubis's voice could be heard, although he was not in the image, only Ryou. The God of Death sounded almost kind. "If you need time to consider your decision..."

Ryou shook his head and smiled, a little sadly. "No, I have made my choice."

Bakura steeled himself, but could not keep from closing his eyes against the pain he knew he was about to feel.

"He is my darkness. He is a part of me and without him, I cannot be whole. No matter what he has said or done, no matter how he has hurt me or others, no matter how much he will likely scorn me for this... Bakura is my yami... mine... and I want him back." Although his voice had started out soft, by the end it was strong and clear. He had made his choice and he had no hesitation over it.

Bakura's eyes snapped open and he stared in disbelief at the sweetly smiling boy in the orb. As it began to sink in, he had to force himself to remain standing. It took all he had not to fall to his knees, but he refused to allow anyone, even a God, to see the emotions he was feeling.

Anubis vanished the orb and looked thoughtfully at the boy before him. "Your light awaits."

As he spoke, a second portal of light appeared in the middle of the room. Bakura nodded once and began to stride towards it.

If he walked a little more quickly than was polite, Anubis did not feel inclined to take offence.

As the portal closed, someone coughed discretely from behind Anubis. The jackal-headed god turned and arched an eyebrow. "If you are here to tell me that I have forms to fill out, I may well hit you with something heavy."

Thoth smiled and shook his head. "It was an order from Osiris. That negates all paperwork." His already-bright eyes twinkled.

Anubis chuckled. "I thought you agreed with remarkable speed considering that aspect of it."

"Well I had to raise a token objection, of course. If we sent everyone back, what would be the point of their coming here at all?" Thoth shook his head. "No... this was a special case. In more ways than one." He looked hopefully at Anubis, who sighed in long suffering but then nodded.

The orb reappeared, still showing Ryou's sweetly-smiling face, and Thoth smiled as he studied the image. "I have seen a great many things, but that boy truly astonished me. I admit, I was uncertain that he would agree, yet he did so without a moment's hesitation."

"Astonishing indeed," Anubis agreed. "Although for me, the surprise lay more in the dark one's reaction to it."

Thoth looked curiously at his friend and Anubis smiled.

"I did not believe I would ever witness the sight of the Thief King of Ancient Egypt with tears in his eyes."

To be concluded...


	7. A Whisper of Truth

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

**A New Beginning  
Epilogue: A Whisper of Truth**  
By Shadow's Mirror

He stepped into the portal and was immediately surrounded by light. It lasted only a moment, but Bakura was conscious of how very warm the light was and how it seemed to be embracing him. Then he stepped out of the portal again and the moment was lost, but the feeling of being welcomed back to the mortal world remained with him. Even though it was not precisely that world he had returned to.

He looked around at the place in Ryou's mind that was as familiar to him as his own soulroom and smiled a little. His smile slipped when he noticed the figure curled up asleep in the bed on the far side of the chamber.

Even from where he was, Bakura could make out the tracks of tears on Ryou's cheeks.

A heavy ball formed in the yami's stomach. Had Ryou been crying at the thought of his yami's return? Or had it been because he had believed he would never see his yami again? It was suddenly important for Bakura to know.

He strode over to the bed and reached out, fully intending to shake his light's soul awake and demand to know the reason for his tears. His hand stopped in mid-reach and he eyed it with more than a little disgust. When had he become so weak that the thought of waking his light and asking him why he had been crying was enough to make his hand tremble?

Steeling himself, he tried again... and stopped again. This time, his hand was so close he could almost feel Ryou's soft, downy cheek beneath his fingertips.

When had his goal changed from shaking Ryou's shoulder to stroking his cheek?

Whatever his reasons, whatever his intended actions, Bakura was sure of one thing. He definitely did not want Ryou to wake up and find him stroking any part of his anatomy. Quickly straightening, he backed up a couple of feet until his back was against the wall. Leaning against it, Bakura folded his arms and looked down at his light. The slightest of smiles curved his lips, although if he had been asked about it, he would have denied its existence.

_A second chance, huh? A new beginning. Whatever I expected to happen... this wasn't it. I was so sure that he'd be happier without me. Why did he want me back?_

Bakura was still wondering about it when a soft gasp warned him that Ryou was awake. He looked up, just in time to see Ryou's eyes shining with delight before the boy burst into heartrending sobs. But as astonishing as Ryou's reaction was to seeing him, Bakura found his own reaction to Ryou's tears to be even more baffling.

Moving to sit on the bed was fair enough, he supposed, but since when had he been the sort of guy to pull a boy into his arms and hold him as he cried into his shirt? More to the point, since when had he welcomed the strange rush of warmth that Ryou's fiercely tight hug brought him?

Bakura was still wondering that when he realised that Ryou was saying something. No, actually Ryou was sobbing something... over and over again. The yami bent his head a little and concentrated, trying to make out what the boy was saying.

"...missed you. My yami. I missed you. My yami. I missed you."

Bakura gave up the battle that he would never acknowledge he'd fought, much less lost. His vision blurred with the price of his defeat, but he pretended not to notice. Just as he would never admit that it was the second time that day he had lost that particular fight.

As Ryou sobbed against his chest, Ryou's yami held him tightly and ignored the dampness on his own cheeks. When he spoke, Bakura's whisper could not possibly have been heard over the boy's cries. It would have remained forever unknown to him... if it hadn't been whispered in his mind at the same time.

_"I missed you too, my light. It's good to be home."  
_

The End


End file.
